Two-needle button sewing machine



Jan. 24, 1939 J. VOLLMAN ET AL TWO-NEEDLE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1937' Ubllmm Guerrilla) MN. a

Jan. 24, 1939. J. VOLLMAN ET AL TWO-NEEDLE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE FiledFeb. 13, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 tlb' eph Uollman Hermann aw aw (w kw n'her Gum;

Jan. 24, 1939. J. VOLLMAN ET AL TWO-NEEDLE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 15, 1937 3mm Jog cpl; Uollmarv [Jermann Gunher Patented Jan. 24.1939." f 2 ,145,216

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,145,216 2 2 Two-NEEDLE nu'r'ron SEWINGJoseph Vollnian and Herman Gunther, Eliza-' beth, N. J., asslgnors to.The Singer Manufacv turlng Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application February is, 1937, Serial no. 125.522

1 Claims. (01. 112-412 The present invention has for an object to prooneto the looper-shaft ll journaled in the bed I. vide an improvedtwo-needle button sewing ma- The looper-shaft carries the axial-shank l2ofchine for sewing on four-hole buttons with two one of the loopers l2,which loopers are of the simultaneously formed but entirely disconnectedrotary chain-stitch type. The axial shank I2 I groups ofbutton-fastening stitches; there being of the other looper 12 is carriedby a short looperi no cross-threads between the two groups of shaft I3journaled in the bed-bracket l4 coaxially stitches at either side of thework. with the first mentioned looper-shaft II. The With the above andother objects in view, as bed-bracket I4 is detachably fastened to thebed will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises I by means of thescrews and has also journaled 10 the devices, combinations andarrangements of in it the transmission shaft l6 which receives 10 partshereinafter set forth and illustrated in the motion from thelooper-shaft H through the accompanying drawings of a preferredembodispur gears l'l, I1 and drives the short looper-shaft ment of theinvention, from which the several 13 through the spur-gears I8, I8; thetwo coaxial features of the invention and the advantages atlooper-shaftsII and I3 being connected to run 16 tained thereby will be readilyunderstood by those at the same speeds and in timed relation to onellskilled in the art. another.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a The two loopers l2are of right and left hand two-needle button-sewing machine embodyingbut otherwise identical formation. Each has a the invention. Fig. 2 is abottom plan view of the pg k 9 and D- p d ng win 20 machine. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the 20. The shank or spindle l2 of each looper is 20throat-plate of the machine, showing the duplex mounted in a socket inthe respect v E thread-cutting and thread-end-nipping mechashaft. Eachlooper is formed adjacent the base nism carried thereby. Fig. 4 is asection on the of its Suppo g shank or sp with an line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a perspective view of arcuate loop-spreading shoulder 22 thefunction 25 the looper-carrying bracket shown in Fig. 2 at of which isto hold the inclined limb of the pre- 28 the free end of thework-supporting arm of the viously seized needle-loop high enough sothat the machine. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing the looper-beakwill, after seizing a new needle-loop, cooperation of the needles,loopers and loop-posipass it through the previously seized loop, astioning and spreading means at the time in a shown in Fig 6, 7 andB- 30stitch-forming cycle when the loopers are seizing Cooperating with theneedles 9 and loopers I2 30 new needle loops and are about to pass suchloops I is a loop-positioner 23 in the form of a Y-shaped through thepreviously seized loops on the respecmember the stem 24 of which iscurved in a vertive loopers. Fig. 7 is a view of the parts as seen ticalplane, Fig. 6, about the loopers l2 and is from the left side of Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is a similar supported by the rock-shaft 25 which is journaledView of the partsasseen from above with the butin the bed I below thelooper-shaft H. The ton and work-supporting parts omitted, and Fig p t lcar e a earn which 9 is a view similar to Fig. '7 but at a time in theactuates the follower-roll ll at the end of thecycle when the newneedle-loops have been drawn follower-arm I I9 fixed to the rock-shaft25.. The out and are about to receive their customary halfcam l I movesthe loop-positioner- 23 from the o twists by the wings of the respectiveloopers. retracted position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 40

The sewing machine has a frame of usual con- 6, to its effectiveposition shown in full lines in struction comprising a bed I, from whichrises the Figs. 6, '7 and 8. 'The cam. l IP is timed to advance standard2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 3' the loop-positioner as soonas theneedle-loops 21' terminating in the head I. have been well drawn down orexpanded by the 4:, Journaled in the bracket-arm 3 is the rotary loopersl2, as shown in Fig. 9. The divergent main-shaft 5 which, through thecrank 6 and link horns of the Y-shaped lOOD-D 23 gather I, drives thereciprocatory needle-bar 8 carrying together the limbs of the previouslyseized and the spaced eye-pointed needles 9. The spacing expandedneedle-loops 21 and position them in of the needles 9 is equal to thatof the holes of a a bunch 28 between the paths of the needles 9four-hole button, so that by vibrating the button which descend atopposite sides of the stem 24 of 50 transversely of the plane of theneedles, two sepathe loop-positioner and the bunched limbs '28 of rategroups of button-fastening stitches may be the needle-loops positionedthereabove. The sewn through the four holes in the button.loop-positioner 23 remains in its advanced posi- I'he main-shaft 5 isgeared one-to-one to the tion until the loopers have seized newneedlevertical shaft in which, in turn, is geared one-toloops 29 dcaried them safely t ou h the 'reii spective previously formed loops 21.By referring to Figs. 6 and 7, it will be observed that the arcuateloop-spreading shoulders 22 of the loopers l2 hold the inclined portions30 of the needleloops high enough for the beaks I9 of the loopers topass therebelow.

Secured upon opposite sides of the stem 24 of the loop-positioner 23 arethe needle-guards 3| which are spaced suniciently from the stem 24 toadmit the needles 9. The needle-guards 3| prevent the needles from beingaccidentally struck or caught by their respective looper-beaks. The stem24 of the loop-positioner also has a needle positioning function inholding the needles correctly spaced apart for the loop-seizing actionof the loopers.

The button 32 is held upon the fabric 32 by the button-gripping jaws 33of the usual buttonclamp 34 which includes the work-supporting plate 34'and is vibrated transversely of the plane of the needles 3 by the usualclampshifting mechanism such as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,093,241,of Apr. 14, 1914. Such mechanism includes a feed-cam 35 which is given aslow rotary motion by the worm-andgear connection 36 with the main-shaft5. The feed-cam of the present machine is designed to vibrate thework-clamp laterally of the bed I; no motion being imparted to thework-clamp longitudinally of the bed I.

On the rearward end of the main-shaft 5 are mounted the usual tight andloose pulleys 31, 38, respectively, of a common form ofstart-andstop-motion device including the starting and stopping lever 39which is pivoted to the machine frame at 40 and carries the belt-shipper4| and stopping tooth 42; the latter cooperating with the usual notchedstop-cam 43. The details of this stop-motion device are more fullydisclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,093,241 above referred to.

The machine is fitted with thread-cutting and thread-end-nippingmechanism, such as disclosed in U. S. Patents No. 1,251,451, of Dec. 25,1917 and No. 1,549,248, of Aug. 11, 1925. In the present instancethethread-cutters 44 are right and left counterparts and are carried by thethread-cutter lever 45 which is fulcrumed at 46 on the under side of thethroat-plate 41 and actuated in the usual manner as disclosed in saidpatents. The thread-end nippers 48, also right and left counterparts,are carried by the usual thread-end-nipper lever 43 which is fulcrumedat 50 on the throat-plate 41 and is actuated by the usual connectionswith the feed-wheel 35 as disclosed in said U. S. Patent No. 1,549,248.

We are aware that two-needle straightaway stitching machines have beenproposed having two rotary chain-stitch loopers of rightand left-handformation arranged face-to-face for cooperation each with its respectiveneedle. Such two-needle stitch-forming mechanism has not, however, beenheretofore made to function in combination with a button-clamp forvibrating the work in opposite directions across the plane of theneedles. It is, of course, simple enough to form a succession of singlethread chain-stitches with a rotary chain-stitch looper when the work isfed in the direction of motion of the looperbeak in seizing aneedle-loop.

In making a back-stitch, that is, a stitch mad when the feed of the workis opposite to the direction of motion of the looper-beak in seizing aneedle-loop, difficulties are encountered and a loop-positioner must beresorted to to carry the limbs of the previous needle-loop held by thelooper to the opposite side of the needle, so that the looper-beak mayseize a new loop from the needle before passing into the previous loopheld spread by the looper. No loop-positioning means has or have,however, been heretofore provided which will function in combinationwith two needles and two face-to-face rotary chain-stitch loopers in theproduction of two entirely separate groups of button-fastening stitches.

The foregoing specification is to be read in an illustrative sense andnot in limitation of the invention; it being obvious that variousmodifications within the scope of invention will occur to those skilledin the art.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what we claim hereinis:

1. In a two-needle button-sewing machine, in combination, stitch-formingmechanism including a pair of coplanar reciprocatory needles and twoopposed rotary chain-stitch loopers, a buttonclamp, means to relativelyvibrate the needles and button-clamp transversely of the plane of theneedles, and means to simultaneously position the limbs of both expandedneedle-loops relative to their respective needles so that each looperafter seizing a needle-loop from its respective needle will pass itthrough the previously seized and expanded loop on the looper.

2. In a two-needle button-sewing machine, in combination. stitch-formingmechanism including a pair of coplanar reciprocatory needles and twoopposed rotary chain-stitch loopers, a button-clamp, means to relativelyvibrate the needles and button-clamp transversely of the plane of theneedles, and means to simultaneously position the upper portions of thelimbs of both expanded needle-loops between the descending needle-pathsin carrying such limbs across the plane of the needles in the directionin which the looper-beaks move to seize new needle-loops.

tion the upper portions of the limbs of both expanded needle-loopsbetween the descending needle-paths in carrying such limbs across theplane of the needles in the direction in which the looper-beaks move toseize new needle-loops.

4. In a two-needle button sewing machine, the combination with a pair ofreciprocatory needles, of two opposed rotary chain-stitch loopers, abutton-clamp and means to vibrate it transversely of the plane of theneedles, and means to position the limbs of the two expanded needleloopsbetween the paths of the descending needles following a movement of thebutton-clamp in a direction opposite to the direction of loop-seizingmotion of the looper-beaks.

5. In a two-needle button-sewing machine, in combination, stitch-formingmechanism including a pair of coplanar reciprocatory needles and twoopposed rotary chain-stitch loopers, a button-clamp, means to relativelyvibrate the needles and button-clamp transversely of the plane of theneedles, a Y-shaped loop-positioner having its stem transverse to theplane of the needles, and means to move said loop-positioner lengthwiseof its stem across the plane of the needles to a position in which saidstem lies between the paths of the needles.

6. In a two-needle button-sewing machine, in combination, stitch-formingmechanism including a pair of coplanar reciprocatory needles and twooposed rotary chain-stitch loopers, a button-clamp, means to relativelyvibrate the needles and button-clamp transversely of the plane of theneedles, a Y-shaped loop-positioner having its stem transverse to theplane of said needles, and a pair of needle-guards carried by saidloop-positioner and disposed at opposite sides of and spaced from saidstem.

'7. A button-stewing machine having a pair of needles, rightandleft-hand rotary chain-stitch loopers arranged face-to-face forcooperation with said needles, a button-clamp, means to vibrate saidbutton-clamp transversely of the plane of the needles, and means toposition the spread limbs of both needle-loops at that side of the planeof the needles toward which the newly seized needle-loops are carried bythe loopers.

JOSEPH VOLIMAN. HERMANN GUNTHER.

